What it is

Minnesota Mineral Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to mineralogy, geology, paleontology, and the lapidary arts, based in the Twin Cities. The home and About pages describe a social and educational club — monthly programs, field trips, a newsletter, and an annual show — and name it a member of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. The membership history page dates the first official meeting to December 8, 1945 and incorporation to February 15, 1950. It is not a commercial lapidary supply house and not a standalone week-long residential teaching school.

Who it’s for

Rockhounds, mineral collectors, lapidary hobbyists, families, and students in the Twin Cities (membership is not limited to Minnesota residents) who want monthly programs, the Rock Rustler’s News, member auctions, field trips, and access to the club lapidary shop and classes. About: most monthly meetings, except auctions and the Annual Banquet, are open to everyone and streamed online. Meetings run September through May; June, July, and August have no meetings.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party Twin Cities gem and mineral club with a printed Wilder Center meeting address and time, published membership dollar dues, and a dated 2026 annual-show page — not a scraped directory card and not a retail jewelry storefront.

Meetings (About → Club Meetings — checked 2026-09-22): Auditorium at the Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Pkwy N, St. Paul, MN 55104. Monthly September through May. No meetings in June, July, and August. Meetings begin at 1 p.m. Most meetings except auctions and the Annual Banquet are open to the public and streamed online.
Membership dues (Membership Registration — checked today): $34 single; $51 family, plus $4.50 per child (under 18); $17 student. Printed benefits: Rock Rustler’s News; member-only auctions; member annual banquet; member-to-member sales; advertising in the newsletter; member-only areas of the website; volunteer opportunities; use of equipment at the lapidary shop; classes; eligibility for club-sponsored field trips.
Annual show (Annual Show page — checked today): 2026 show at the Grandstand, Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Parking address printed on that page: 1265 Snelling Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, and the page says parking is free. Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4, 2026. Hours: Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission: $5/person (kids under 12 free). Page also lists kids’ corner, field-trip table, rock identification, vendor categories (agates, rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, beads, lapidary), member demonstrations, and exhibits.
Clubhouse note (Clubhouse Grand Opening event page, dated September 6, 2025): prints The Rockhaus, 8147 Pleasant Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55420, as the clubhouse with lapidary equipment. That page is a 2025 opening announcement. This check did not find a separate 2026 shop-hours page, so shop access should be confirmed with the club.

Dues, meeting months, and 2026 show hours and admission above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live About, Membership Registration, and Annual Show pages before treating any date or fee as fixed.

Official URL

https://minnesotamineralclub.org/

About: https://minnesotamineralclub.org/about-minnesota-mineral-club/

Membership registration (dues): https://minnesotamineralclub.org/membership-registration/

Membership history: https://minnesotamineralclub.org/membership/

Annual show: https://minnesotamineralclub.org/minnesota-mineral-club-annual-show/

Show contact printed on the show page: [email protected] and [email protected]

Location

Monthly meetings: Wilder Center Auditorium, 451 Lexington Pkwy N, St. Paul, MN 55104, September–May, 1 p.m. (no June–August meetings).

2026 public show: Minnesota State Fairgrounds Grandstand, 1265 Snelling Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, October 3–4, 2026.

The 2025 Clubhouse Grand Opening page prints the Rockhaus clubhouse at 8147 Pleasant Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55420.

These are meeting, show, and clubhouse addresses, not a walk-in commercial lapidary supply warehouse and not a residential week-long teaching campus.

Notes

Category is Clubs. Nonprofit gem, mineral, and lapidary membership club with a printed meeting schedule, dues, and annual show. Not a Workshops residential school and not a Suppliers retail shop.
2026 show dates, hours, and $5 admission, and membership $34 / $51 plus $4.50 per child / $17 student, are transcribed from official pages checked on 2026-09-22 and may change.
First-party badge saved beside this listing as minnesota-mineral-club.jpg (from minnesotamineralclub.org uploads MMC-Logo-Web.jpg).
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza.
No Lapidary Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: When and where are meetings?
A: About page (checked 2026-09-22): monthly September through May, beginning at 1 p.m., in the Auditorium at the Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Pkwy N, St. Paul. No meetings in June, July, or August. Most meetings except auctions and the Annual Banquet are open to the public and streamed. Confirm the live calendar before you go.

Q: What does membership cost?
A: Membership Registration page (checked 2026-09-22): single $34; family $51 plus $4.50 per child under 18; student $17. Confirm live amounts at https://minnesotamineralclub.org/membership-registration/

Q: Is the Minnesota Mineral Club a public drop-in lapidary school or supply shop?
A: No. It is listed here as a Clubs entry — a membership organization with meetings, a newsletter, field trips, an annual show, and a member lapidary shop. For week-long residential curriculum, see a Workshops listing; for equipment or rough retail, see a Suppliers listing.